


Never Forgotten

by ReachFor24



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, Future Fic, M/M, Nursey is Sad and Dex Just Wants to Help, September 11 Attacks, rated for language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:42:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26489623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReachFor24/pseuds/ReachFor24
Summary: Will wakes up, curled with Derek like any other Saturday. Until he remembers what day it is, and knows it'll be hard on his boyfriend.
Relationships: Derek "Nursey" Nurse/William "Dex" Poindexter
Comments: 1
Kudos: 37





	Never Forgotten

**September 11** **th,** **2021**

Will woke up like any other Saturday since graduating from Samwell, curled up with his boyfriend in bed, staring at him as he slumbers. The way his face and body are at rest, peaceful and relaxed, is something Will loves about waking up first. Checking his phone, he sees the date and frowns a bit. He’s been with Derek long enough, through fighting as freshmen, a tenuous friendship as sophomores, turning to a relationship at the end of Junior year and being together since then, to know that Derek’s hated this day. A tough day for most people, especially for New Yorkers. 

Will gently pulls himself from Derek, letting him sleep in, as he walked to their kitchen and began brewing a pot of coffee and starting breakfast. While scrambling the eggs, bacon already drying on paper towels, he sees from the corner of his eye the coffee pot move as Derek pours himself a cup. Taking the eggs off the heat and plating them, Will turns over his shoulder, saying good morning to his boyfriend and love of his life. 

Will loves him, but he knows he can’t do much to help the sullen look on Derek’s face when he turns around. He wishes there was a way to cheer Derek up, but everything he’s tried the past few years has failed to do more than make him smile for a moment before he sulked back into himself. A year ago, with another failed attempt, Will told himself that he’ll just plan a lazy day and give Derek space. He knows Derek will reach out if he needs or wants Will, but he won’t try to make him forget about the day. 

After a quiet breakfast in companionable silence, Will and Derek cleaned up the dishes, loading them into the dishwasher, and headed to the couch, Derek snuggling up to Will as Derek turned on the morning news. Once the TV turns on though, Will knows Derek probably fucked himself over. 

Given the day and given it being the 20th anniversary, WABC were broadcasting live at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, talking about the day’s significance, interceded with their footage of the attacks that occurred 20 years ago. 

Instead of turning the channel though, Derek kept hold of the remote and watched. Watched as each plane hit. Watched as the South Tower fell first. Watched the smoke plume to the surrounding blocks after each tower collapsed. All Will could do is hold him closer, letting him watch and be a comforting presence. 

After the segment ended (which felt like hours to Will, but was probably at most 5 minutes total), and once current news started, Derek turned off the TV and headed to the bathroom. A minute later, Will heard the shower turned on. With this, Will pushed himself off the couch, heading to their bedroom to get clothing ready for the day. Samwell Men’s Hockey t-shirt and clean sweatpants seems like a decent enough outfit when you don’t plan on leaving the apartment any point in the day. 

Once Derek got out of the shower, towel drying his hair as he crossed into the bedroom, Will gave him a peck on the lips as he headed for his own shower. Out of the shower, he was caught off guard by the sight of Derek in their bedroom, dressed in a green short-sleeved button-up that matches his eyes and a good pair of khaki shorts (perfect for the warm day expected) as he sits on their bed looking pensive. After taking in the sight for a moment, he noticed that the clothing he laid out were put back up, in place a similar outfit for himself: short sleeved button-up and a pair of nice shorts. 

Seeing the hint, Will dressed in the clothing laid out and sat with Derek on the bed. He leaned over to him, giving a light kiss to Derek’s cheek, as he got up to put his shoes on, walking to the front door. Derek followed behind, putting his own shoes on as they head out the door, hand-in-hand with Derek leading. 

Will let them walk in silence, wanting Derek to speak up, but not wanting to worsen his mood. Though once they got to the subway and began heading to Lower Manhattan, Will realized where they were heading. 

Getting off at the World Trade Center stop, they exited the station to the streets in a crowd. As expected, with it being the anniversary, the crowd was large, all heading towards the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. Even with the crowd, it was eerily quiet, the somber mood strong as there was little to no talking throughout the walk to the museum. 

As they round the corner, museum and memorial in sight, Derek steered Will towards the line to the ticket office for the museum, letting himself be held close by Will as they wait in line for tickets and admittance. Once inside, hands together, they explored the museum, quietly going through the exhibitions. Larger pieces of the remains of the tower. A fire engine smashed in the front from one of the tower’s collapse. Individual items that tell tales of the events on the day. Timelines of events, both within NYC and beyond, of the events unfolding. 

A short video compilation composed of various amateur videos, coming from various angles, of the planes striking the towers, the debris, seeing people dangle and jump out of the burning skyscrapers, the collapse of each tower, and the plume of smoke taking over the streets surrounding Ground Zero. No dramatic music or any editing outside of cutting to a new view, a new person, a new life watching this unfold. 

They walk together through the exhibitions, learning of the dogs who were used to search for survivors and eventually search for bodies through the rubble. They learn of the flight paths of the planes in the attacks. They learn of the events after 9/11 that lead to Osama bin Laden’s death. 

The only time they break apart throughout the museum is once they enter the In-Memoriam room. Thousands of photographs on the walls, showing the faces of the victims of the attacks. Derek let go of his hand as he walked through the room, taking in the photographs as he walked around the perimeter of the room. Will could only do the same, taking position in the middle of the room and turning his body around to view the photos. 

Will didn’t notice Derek was right beside him until he took grasp of his hand. Will looked into Derek’s eyes, seeing the swell as he holds back his tears. Will feels his own eyes swell at the sight, giving a reassuring squeeze to his hand as Derek led them out of the room, heading towards the exit. 

Once they leave the museum, without a word spoken between them, they head to the memorial, seeing the outlines of each tower, and head towards there. Going through the Memorial Glade and the Survivor Tree, they stop at the reflecting pool of the North Tower. The crowds around the reflecting pool was thick, with people searching for the names that wrap around each pool. Derek, with Will, took place at one position of the pool, slowly pushing himself and Will forward to the edge of the pool as visitors leave, eventually reaching the front. 

Will barely notices as Derek takes his free hand, tears tracking down his face, as he rubs one name inscribed in the bronze. 

_Joshua Andrew Nurse_

As everything about the date, both today and in the past, fell into place, he hears Derek begin to speak, a whisper heavy in emotion, for the first time this all day. 

“He was in the North Tower. Floor 98. An executive vice president for Marsh Inc. They say with where the plane crashed and where his office was located, he would have died immediately. Minimal suffering, if any. Knocked out in the initial impact and died unconscious at the worst.” 

Will took hold of Derek as he began to sob after telling him this. Throughout the years he’s known Derek, he could count the number of times he’s mentioned his father on one hand. Died when Derek was young was the most detail he had about the man. But it fell into place why Derek was never happy on September 11th. He lost his father in a great tragedy, taken from him while both were too young. He knows Derek’s mom remarried to a woman that Derek adores as if related by blood. But he sees that he still misses his dad. 

As they turn back from the bronze name and the memorial, Will kept Derek close, wrapping an arm around his waist as they break through the crowds and head back to the subway station. As they walk, Derek whispers out “Thank you.” 

All Will can do in response is squeeze Derek a little tighter, hopefully saying that he’ll always be there for him, no matter what. 

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fic I've written and posted, ever. Never done much writing before, but fell in love with this fandom and figured to give it a shot. Sorry if I got any details about NYC or the 9/11 Museum & Memorial incorrect as I've never been to NYC before. But I felt Nursey would have been more personally affected by the tragic events that occurred on September 11th, and got the idea to write this the morning after the anniversary this year.


End file.
